rain and dance
by PallaPlease
Summary: Shuu and Shin: life as it is.  [complete]


disclaimer: I claim no ownership over any of the characters contained within. This story is written for fun, not profit.

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* * *

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**rain / dance**

* * *

The rain spilled over the eaves, drowning the window panes in sliding waves. Thunder rattled the windows.

"Geez, this came out of nowhere," Shuu said, sprawled shirtless on the floor. He shuffled cards absently in his hands, and rolled his head to stretch his neck. "It's like a flood out there."

"Mm," Shin said, noncommittal, lazing half-off the twin bed, tracing figures on the thigh of his jeans. "That's something of an exaggeration, isn't it."

Shuu split the deck and grinned up beneath shaggy bangs. "Give me some credit here. Poker?" He waved a card temptingly, a grinning, mirrored joker.

Shin drew his legs onto the bed and rolled onto his stomach, folding arms beneath his chin. "Go Fish," he said, whimsically.

"Original." Shuu snorted and tossed the joker aside. It fluttered, just so, and slid gently to the floor.

The windows rattled, again.

* * *

The apartment was in Shin's name, the furniture in Shuu's.

"Just in case," he explained, stealing a crouton from Shin's salad on the end of his fork. The sunglasses pushed up his forehead caught the sunlight, reflected it black. "If I get kicked to the curb, 'least I've got a bed."

For a moment they say in companionable silence, in the warm humidity of the outside diner, surrounded by the breeze and quiet chatter.

"I would never kick you," Shin said, graciously. "Throw, maybe. Drown, perhaps. Kick? Never." He filched a radish from Shuu's plate.

"_Hey_," Shuu said, scowling. "That was mine."

"Oh my." Shin popped the radish in mouth and chewed, thoughtful. "So sorry?"

"You're lucky I need a place to keep my bed," Shuu reminded him, taking a moment to steal another crouton.

Shin made a small noise remarkably like a _pff_. "_You're_ lucky I like you," he reminded in turn.

"I know," Shuu said, with great satisfaction, and tipped the sunglasses down over his eyes.

* * *

The windows of the street-side studio were plastered with tacky posters advertising a repertoire of traditional and Western dances. A faint strain of something Latin - pulsing and sultry, like a slow breath in summer - trickled out the door.

Enamored, Shin caught Shuu's elbow.

"Let's," he said, smiling, tapping a finger against the glass. "Look: they've got a special introductory price."

"Huh? What? No." Shuu lifted his sunglasses, staring blankly at Shin. "We don't have the money, man, not with classes and you out of a job."

Shin scowled and blew air out, saying, "I know." He looked, again, at the window, listening to music, scuffing his toe on the sidewalk.

"Besides," Shuu said, in consolation. "I don't need any dance lessons. Watch."

"Save it," Shin laughed, grabbing his shoulder as he performed a gratuitious full-body spasm. "Or you'll give someone a heart attack."

"I'd hate to lose you," Shuu confessed. He tucked Shin's arm in his and patted it fondly.

"Be quiet," Shin said, picking his arm free. "It's not like you'd starve, you goof."

"You cut me deep, Shin," Shuu replied, palm to his heart. "You cut me real deep."

Shin laughed.

* * *

"I think it's slowing." Shuu stood, stretching and popping his back. "Hell," he said. "It's almost one. _Geez_, and I've got work in the morning."

Watching him, lazily, Shin said with a dreamy yawn, "And I've got bio." He smiled at Shuu, as he flipped the blinds closed and snatched a t-shirt from the floor.

"What're you grinning at," Shuu said. "Scoot over or I'll never fit."

"You ought to look for another bed." Shin yawned, covering his mouth, and thought idly of switching his jeans for boxers. He closed his eyes, stretched his legs out, curling his bare toes, and shivered his back to the wall.

The mattress dipped; a press of warm muscle moved against Shin's arm. "Hey," Shuu said. "This way we conserve heat _and_ money."

"Mm." Shin smiled.

Shuu turned the light out.

* * *

Shin woke, briefly, to the play of lightning against his eyelids and a roll of thunder concussive on glass and in his ears. He blinked slowly and lifted his head.

Shuu snorted in his sleep and shifted, a little, knee nudging Shin's thigh.

Smiling, Shin touched Shuu's shoulder and rested his head on the pillow, fingers sliding back to the tangled sheets.

He woke again, bleary, when the alarm went off and Shuu slapped it, rolling out of bed with a few muzzled curses, already shedding his wrinkled tee. "Hhn," Shin managed, and took the opportunity to stretch his legs out over the warm concave dip where Shuu had slept.

"Shit," Shuu said. "Damn. Can I borrow one of your ties?"

"Ahn," Shin said, covering his eyes with a hand when Shuu flicked the overhead light on. "Yes."

"Great. Your umbrella?"

Shin blinked out between his fingers, running a hand through his lighter hair. "Sure," he said, finally, watching Shuu flipping one of his few non-(aquatic-)themed ties into a quick knot. "I'll be fine; I'm taking the bus on campus anyway. A coat'll work." He yawned and rolled up, sliding out of bed with a shiver.

"_Thank_ you," Shuu said, with a hearfelt roll of his eyes. He flashed a grin, checking the collar of his shirt. "You've officially saved my ass, Shin. Anything you want is yours."

"I know, I know." He brushed a hand along the dark fringe of Shuu's hair, cut low on his neck. "I'll think of something."

"So long as it doesn't involve water." Shuu grinned and snatching up the umbrella, headed for the door and the hallway beyond.

"Spoilsport," Shin said to the empty room, and peeled yesterday's clothes off.

* * *

Shin had the window open when, at last, Shuu's shift ended. The smell of rain was heavy in the apartment, soft and drifting, even as the sky waited in patient, humid gray.

"It won't rain again for another hour," Shin explained, sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed. His hands rested, palms up, on the pages of a magazine open in his lap; a rain-blown breeze flicked through his cropped hair.

"Great," Shuu sighed, dropping the closed umbrella and stripping the tie from his throat. "I can't wait 'til we've got sun again." He walked forward and collapsed, backward, on the width of the bed, legs sprawled off the side.

"I don't know," Shin said, smiling as he looked out the window at the heavy sky. "I rather like it."

"Hn," said Shuu, instead of, "You would," and propped himself up on his elbows. "What'cha reading?"

Shin folded the magazine over and handed it to Shuu, a small smile turning his mouth. "They're videos," he said. "On dancing. Tango, swing, all kinds. The sort of thing that studio had, but cheaper." He nudged Shuu, gently, as he studied the page. "You said you owed me," he reminded, teasing.

"Aw, geez," Shuu said, and collapsed back on the bed, still studying the magazine. "I can't really dance, you know," he said, meeting Shin's eyes.

Shin shrugged. "You can learn."

"I'm not graceful, either. I'd step on your feet."

Shin smiled, propping his elbows on his knees for a moment. "That's all right," he said, and leaned back so his shoulder was warm against Shuu's. "I'll be sure to step on your feet, too. We'll be even."

Shuu laughed, a little helpless, and slapped the magazine onto Shin's chest. "What the hell," he said.

"We'll need a tv, though," Shin said.

"I'm buying the tapes," Shuu warned. "You buy your own damn tv."

"You broke the last one," Shin reminded, nudging Shuu with his hip.

"On accident," Shuu said, stiffly.

Shin laughed and slipped his hand in Shuu's. "It'll start raining again soon," he said.

"What the hell," Shuu said, and closed his eyes.

* * *


End file.
